Every year in April, 35,000 runners crowd the streets of Paris in the
annual Marathon de Paris – or Paris International Marathon. This event, in the
form that it appears in today, has been happening since 1977, and the next
marathon will take place on Sunday, 12 April 2015.

The first marathon
to take place in Paris was as early as 1896 and the official distance was 40km.
Present day's Paris Marathon is limited to 40,000 entrants, and the maximum is
reached almost every year - usually as early as six months before race day.

Throughout the marathon,
runners get a good view of the magnificent city and some of its famous sights.
The course starts in front of the Triumphal Arch and continues down the broad
Champs Elysées. The route passes through two Parisian woods and past fabulous landmarks
such as the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame Cathedral and Place de la Bastille. A large
part of the course runs along the banks of the calmly flowing Seine River providing
pleasing scenery and ensuring flat streets at the same time. The wide avenues at
the start prevents overcrowding, and the overall flatness of the course makes it
fairly fast. PB setting is definitely an option..

If the historic city, the world-famous sites and the peaceful, shady parks don’t quite do
it for you, you can count on the
250,000 onlookers and the 70 music scenes to keep you going. And if that isn’t enough,
you can always look forward to the red wine and cheese served at the 35km mark – apparently,
the organisers want you to be absolutely sure that you’re in France.
If a 42km jog on Parisian pavements doesn’t sound like your favourite pastime but you still
want a chance to run this beautiful city and experience the intense atmosphere of
a marathon, you can do the 5.2km Breakfast Race on race day. Or – if you’re really
tough – use the race as a warm-up for the marathon. The Breakfast Race course will
take you past the Eiffel Tower, the imposing Trocadéro and almost up to the Triumphal
Arch. There is also the possibility of a half marathon, if you plan your trip to
Paris in March. The 1/2 marathon shares most of its course with the full marathon.

Find out more on registration at the official Paris Marathon website
here.